West Yorkshire's first mass vaccination centre opens in Wakefield
West Yorkshire's first mass vaccination centre has opened in Wakefield today (Tuesday 26 January).Spectrum Community Health CIC is one of 33 new vaccination sites opening to the public this week, including Sheffield Arena and a former DIY warehouse in Mansfield.
The Wakefield site will initially have the ability to give out hundreds of vaccines a day, with the capacity to administer seven thousand a week, if it's scaled up to full capacity at a later date.
There is now a network of 50 large scale centres, capable of jabbing thousands of people a week, across the country.
People aged 75 and over are being invited to book a vaccination at the centres or one of more than 70 pharmacy services now operating across the country.
If they cannot or do not want to travel to a Vaccination Centre people can wait to be jabbed by a local GP service or hospital hub.
The latest openings mean that vaccinations are now available from more than 1,300 NHS sites as part of the biggest immunisation drive in NHS history.
Appointments are staggered to allow for social distancing and people are urged not to turn up early to avoid queues.
People will be invited when it is their turn to get a vaccine and the NHS is advising that people cannot get vaccinated by just turning up.
NHS national medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, said:
Adding: "I am enormously proud of their successful so far. We are determined to save as many lives as possible by vaccinating the most vulnerable as swiftly as we can along with those who care for them."